It Won't Be Long
by Prongs is mine
Summary: They wanted to know why I walked in with Clara. Why Rose automatically sat next to me. They all wanted to ask why this weird, unusual, and imperfect girl sat in the spot they had been dreaming of placing their rear ends on since first year. Why her?
1. The Arrival

Hello everyone! This is a story that I've been planning and working on for a while now! I think that this is going to be my 'baby' for a while :)

The main character is mine, but pretty much all others are JK Rowling's.

I hope you enjoy all of this! It is only chapter one, so don't think it is over!

Have fun reading:

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**It Won't Be Long**

Chapter One: The Arrival

I toss and turn, closing my dark brown, almost black, eyes as I try envisioning my day tomorrow. It is impossible. I don't know what to expect and since I'm anticipating the worst, I know that I will never be able to fall asleep.

But eventually it happens.

And all of the sudden, I am awake. "Hello world," I moan as I speed to the other side of the unfinished room and hear the loud construction from outside my smogged up window.

Automatically my hand slams down on the puke green cell phone, making it stop vibrating underneath the newly sanded and painted brown desk.

For the first time since last night I open my eyes, whispering gibberish while I take in my reflection from the silver and beaded mirror on the plain wall.

I cannot stop staring at those ugly over-night blemishes on the cracks of my small and silver pierced nose. I'm sure that there _has _to be other traits people will see in me.

Or will they just notice the slight implication of acne, and the overly fixed and parted hair? Am I something else in the eyes of strangers though…?

As I mull this over, I walk back to the side of my new mattress and old pink sheets, grabbing the clothes that lie on the empty petite oak dresser. It had been my changing table as a kid, but now I have it set up with a shimmering dark blue runner and purple candles on top of it.

Slowly, I shuffle over to a wooden door on the opposite wall, throwing it open as I go along.

**. . . .**

"Jackie! You're late! Breakfast…!" issues from upstairs.

"Good morning to you too, Mom," I mutter as I quickly swipe some black Lash Blast mascara across my eyelashes and then throw that and my other products into the already full makeup bag.

At last I am finished. "Hmmm…" The huge mirror in this gigantic bathroom with these horribly bright yellow lights makes everything about me even uglier.

Since I blow-dried my black and shiny mane of hair a couple of minutes ago, every trace of waves are gone. My silver braces are making my lips jut out even more than they used to so that I look like a definite caveman. The small daisy tattoos that my friend Zena convinced me to get are slightly showing on the right side of my abdomen. I can even sense a panty-line across the butt of my black t-party pants.

"Oh well… here goes nothing!" Sighing, I throw on the Beatles Yellow Submarine t-shirt my grandmother, and then my mother, used to own over the blue and fitted tank top while I head out into the hallway.

It is pitch black because apparently rats chewed away all electrical wiring downstairs and there are no windows since it is underground. I can smell thick mold and dust everywhere as I feel my way threw the tunnel of doom and into a sun patch by the stairs, coming eye to eye with my mom.

"Hi, sorry," I say. She grabs me by the hand and leads me up the new and white carpeted never-ending stairs.

"It's fine. I understand." I look at the back of my mom's red head bobbing up and down as we walk. She has on a light shade of fitted jeans and a white sparkly glue design t-shirt from her old business Ash, Paint, and Company Shirts. As usual she looks ridiculously attractive in the so called 'Mommy Clothes' and messy scarlet hair flying everywhere. "But just don't do it tomorrow because I won't be there to remind you about the time, okay?"

"If I survive until tomorrow, that is," I point out while she raises her annoyed and perfectly shaped dark red eyebrow.

"I do not understand why you've been complaining so much about your new school. You haven't even looked through the books and played with the wand, Jackie!"

She walks across the short entrance hall and onto the linoleum floor of our small kitchen. I sluggishly follow. "Well _I _do. It isn't as if I'll fit in. And I haven't looked through any of the stuff we got me because I have not had any time since we _bought_ them."

Mom rolls her eyes, pushing some toast at my hands from the fake-marble counter gently. "It's probably ice-cold, but everything is organic and healthy."

"Great…" I say sarcastically.

"I'm glad you agree," she states as she marches past the counter and to our small and circular green dining table, reaching her hand inside one of the brown cardboard boxes that lies there. "It's been a long time since I've seen you, tea-kettle. But don't worry. I'm going to make a nice warm herbal in just a second."

It's my turn to roll my eyes. "Mom, stop changing the subject. I'm freaking out while you just try and befriend the tea-kettle." I look at her, biting my lip nervously as she smiles with her blue eyes shining with excitement.

"You will do great at the school, honey. I know you will. They would not have chosen you if you weren't a good addition to the school, and don't worry just because you're coming in a little later than all the other teens, okay?" Mom tells me convincingly while she rubs my tanned and freckled arms soothingly.

"Six _years _later-"

"What if a British and obviously magical person walked into King Philip Regional High School. How would everyone react, Jackie?"

I look at her pathetically as I try to chew on a small piece of the burnt toast. Slowly, I swallow. "Probably everyone would want to become his or her friend. But that's in _America. _All of us want what every other country has! I mean, I've always wanted a British accent and their clothes lines! America is just one big copy-cat, trying to recreate the perfect people from England, Mom!"

"Oh, stop your whining. People here are not considered 'perfect'. Now, let's get going. We still haven't packed up all your stuff, and the teacher from Hogwarts is supposed to be getting you in thirty minutes."

I stick out my tongue. "This is stupid! It isn't even a weekday and they wanted me to arrive. It's easiest to make friends and all when people are _forced _to sit next to me and stuff, during class."

"Alright. Sure, I agree. This is so stupid. _You _are the lucky one though, Jackie. Remember that _I'm_ the one who has to live in this beat up house, while you go and get to perform _real _magic." Mom puts her petite hands onto her small hips and pouts, making her look younger than she already is.

I gulp down a bit of the freshly squeezed orange juice and wipe my mouth with my hand afterwards. "I'm sorry, Mom. I really shouldn't be complaining. I'm sorry!"

She snorts and rubs her eyes tiredly. "It's really fine. I'm just a little jealous of you, but I am _even_ _more _proud."

"Oh stop, Mom. You're making me blush!" I joke.

"Hey!" Mom glares but I notice the fighting smile. "I am going to go check to see around the house for any objects we may have forgotten to put in the boxes. Finish up breakfast, okay?"

"Alright…" I swallow down the last bit of bread that _I'm _going to eat sulkily.

I exhale deeply while taking my plate to the sink and turn the water to hot. As I hum and wait for the warm water to actually _come_, I try to picture Hogwarts.

"Where the hell _is_ it?" I mumble.

Professor McGonagall, the headmistress from the school, told me that I will be living in a castle, but I think she was just joking. Although she looks harsh and strict, she still seems to have a sense of humor.

A month ago she, her colorful robes, witch's hat, and wand had showed up at mine and Mom's apartment in Wrentham, Massachusetts, asking us if I had gotten my acceptance letter.

My mom was a bit taken aback by her outfit, but quickly recovered and offered Professor McGonagall one of the pre-made shirts that were on sale. Mom had no idea who she was, or what she was talking about because I threw away all of the mail from Hogwarts, thinking that they were just jokes made by my friends. I guess I was a little bit mistaken about the situation…

"Oh, finally!" The old sink faucet head now has a lukewarm feel as I squeeze some orange soap onto the blue and rough sponge.

"Hon, stop it. I'll do that when you have deserted me. Right now we need to search for Water!"

"Shit, I thought he was just under my bed. I didn't take it seriously when I woke up alone on my mattress today!" I look at her with concern as I sit the plate and translucent cup at the bottom of the white porcelain kitchen sink and hit the sink faucet off, walking over to where she stands.

"Please don't use that language. And especially when one of your _teachers_ is going to show up, Jackie!" We walk back downstairs and into my room quickly while I try not to look at the unfamiliar and impersonal surroundings.

"Agh! Where is Water?" I bite my lip and glance all along the lines of the small and pretty much empty bedroom.

"I don't- Oh!" Mom laughs as she looks underneath my desk. "Found him… how did he get all the way over here?"

"Bad night's sleep? I don't know… I moved around a lot last night." She hands me my bright blue teddy bear. It's really a sort of mix between cat, bear, and cartoon, but I think that he is an _adorable _animal. A simple black half-circle stitching is the mouth, and there are two black buttons for his eyes.

"I'm sorry you're so scared, Jackie. Please stop worrying about it though."

I unzip the huge dark green camouflaged duffle bag that my great-grandfather owned in World War II, which lies beside my bed. A few seconds later I stuff my fourteen year old creature in one of the pockets.

"Mom, I've _always _lived in Wrentham. I've been in the same district through my whole life. I grew up with _all _of the kids in my community. This past month I have had to adjust to this place in England, and today I'm leaving even _here_. And it isn't even like I'm just moving to _any _boarding school. I'm about to attend Hogwarts school of _Witchcraft_ and _Wizardry_."

Mom nods in understanding while she helps me with the stuck zipper (the duffle bag's fabric is stretched from all my clothes that are packed inside of it).

"You go and recheck that you have everything while I put on more appropriate clothes."

"There is _no _need for you to _impress _anyone, Mom! Stay with me, please!" I catch up to her, blocking the door and putting my hands on her shoulders. "Please?"

"I'm going to miss you so much, Jacqueline!" she tells me as her face gets stretched with sadness and she pulls me closer, into one of her amazing family hugs.

"Me too, Mom!" I say in a high pitched tone. I breathe in deeply, trying not to break down, but it isn't working. A huge and salty drop of water issues from each eye as I lean my head on her shoulder.

"We haven't been apart for any time longer than three days! And now you are gonna leave me for a whole school year!"

"I know! I am so sorry, Mommy!!!" I feel her chest heaving deeply while I'm sure she is crying also. "I just- I wish- Why can't you come, too???"

Mom laughs sadly. "I think we both know the answer to that one, Jackie. I will write to you though. Remember we got you one of those owls, and we'll see each other in a couple of months for Christmas. This is the best for both of us, I'm supposed to be reminding you and me, remember?"

I take a deep breath and let go of her, walking towards the mirror. "Right. Exactly! You are going to do everything that you couldn't do when I was born, and I'm supposed to have a blast performing random sorts of magic."

"Yeah, well… no, Jackie! I'm not going to just try and do all of the things other teenagers did while I raised you! I don't really regret any of that, surprisingly enough," she says sarcastically while wiping away her almost dried tears. "It's more of a 'start an amazing job' movement, so in the summer I can impress you with all of my new mad skills."

"Oh yes of course." I laugh. It isn't as if I will ever be offended if she ever wants to re-due her life. I mean, _I _would want to if I got knocked up at age fifteen. "I'm honored that you will be showing off some of your new talents in… seven months."

"Ugh…"

"Yeah… that's a long time. _But this is the best for both you _and_ me_!!!" I remind us quickly. We nod our heads vigorously as we look at each other by the reflection of the small mirror.

"Okay, I'm changing the subject if you don't mind."

"Good idea."

"Let's neaten up our _beautiful _faces because I think that the person will be here soon." She sighs as she looks at her old black cat clock with the moving eyes and tail that hangs on my wall.

"Well I don't think I can do anything more to my face, but you can while I move everything upstairs…" I look in the direction of where Mom is staring. "Ahhh!!! We have two minutes!!!!" It is almost 2:30 PM (Mom had told me to sleep in as late as possible this morning, because I won't have another chance to do that until the summer)

"But remember that this clock is two minutes slow though, Ja-"

A loud _pop _comes from upstairs. I spin around and face my Mom with my black eyes huge from terror and her blue ones watery and wide. "Would that be…?"

"Probably!" she squeaks as she speeds through my open door, holding a packing box in each hand. The same exact noise was made a month ago, when Professor McGonagall had arrived.

"Breathe, Jackie, Breathe," I need to remind myself while I heave my duffle bag up and onto my shoulder, following along behind Mom.

"Just be your normal self, Hon. Please? When that McGonagall lady showed up last time, we acted like complete freaks," she whispers in a shaky voice.

I can't respond. I'm just too nervous to do anything _but _walk up the infinite amount of stairs. I am not even brave enough to look through the banisters to see who is here to pick me up.

"Hello there!" A friendly male's voice says close by, but I keep my eyes focused on my dark purple converse. "I'm Professor Longbottom."

I have to smile and peek up at 'Professor Longbottom' _now_. My eyes blink a couple of times to make him come into focus because I am not used to the change of light. I try not to act too surprised at his outfit, since I have already seen many witches and wizards dress strangely when I was getting my school supplies at Diagon Alley.

He has on a dark green robe thing, and a sparkling 'wizard's' hat, but what I really notice is his face. He is smiling from ear to ear, as if having a new witch come into Hogwarts is exciting, but every inch of skin that is in sight is covered in different shaped scars. What happened to him? Professor McGonagall had very thin scars across her arms and face, but there must be a reason for _both _of them to be in such bad shape! When Mom and I shopped in Diagon Alley, I noticed that many of the adults had odd scars bumps on their faces, but I've never seen someone so harmed in my entire life before last month!

I force myself to look into his dark green eyes.

"Hi! Welcome to our home, Professor! I am Ashley Marshall, (You can just call me Ash though) and this is…" Mom looks at me with a convincing smile.

"Jacqueline Marshall," I say firmly, holding out my black nail polished right hand. "It's very nice to meet you Professor Longbottom."

"Why thank you!" He holds my hand and shakes it in what feels like a friendly way. "It is a pleasure to meet you also, Jacqueline, and you too Ash. I will be your Herbology teacher at Hogwarts so we will know each other soon, hopefully!"

"I hope so too, Mr.- I mean Professor Longbottom. You can call me Jackie also if you'd like-"

"It's what everyone _really _calls her." My mom is smiling sweetly at him as he looks from her long legs to her full and curvy body. No freckles cover _Mom's _skin, even though it is a rule for red heads to have them. Her long hair is crazy because I am pretty sure she has forgotten to brush it, so it lies along her shoulders and over her back in huge waves of bright shine.

"Well it's true that you both are Americans! That is very interesting! _And _you are coming in as a sixteen year old. Now that is just wonderful and unusual, Jackie!"

"Wh-what am I going to learn if I am so behind?"

"We are on a sort of… _tight _schedule because one of the Slytherin first years poisoned a mandrake yesterday, but I promise you that Professor McGonagall will explain everything in detail to you when we get to Hogwarts…" He scratches his head. "Is that alright with you?"

Mom and I sigh and pout. Oh Jesus… we are so automatically childish, it's embarrassing. "Ummm… yes… Professor Longbottom. It's perfectly fine. Let me just get the rest of my stuff."

"Oh no, allow me," he tells us casually while we stare at him. He takes out a long and thin, dark mahogany branch from his robe pocket (his wand) and moves it in a type of weird pattern. In the next instant, my duffle bag, three boxes, a small carry-on, and metal bird cage with my brown pet owl Plato is… floating towards us. Professor Longbottom chuckles while they come to a halt beside him. "My, you have many things, Jackie."

"Oh, well… yes. I guess I do." I smile at him innocently. "Is that okay? The list didn't really specify and personal items, so I guessed that we were just allowed to bring them…-"

"I'm sure it is fine. As long as your roommates allow you to unpack that much." He is joking, but now I'm quite worried.

"Will I get to know who my roommates are?" I ask anxiously as Mom puts her arm around me in attempt to hug.

"Yes, but not right now."

"Oh…"

"I guess I will wait outside and you can say goodbye to your mother, alright?" It didn't sound like a question, but I answered with a 'sure'.

"Mom," I say when our new front door softly shuts behind Professor Longbottom and my luggage.

"Jackie!" Mom leaps at me and kisses both cheeks, and then my lips as I squeeze her tight. "It's a good thing I didn't wear my new lipstick. Your face would be a mess," she jokes.

"Oh, stop! We need to have an official goodbye!"

"Goodbye, Jackie!" We both sigh again. "I love you.'

"I love you too, Mom."

"You will have so much fun that you will forget all about me by the second day."

"I'm sure _that's _true… most likely you will forget that you have a child by the first week."

"Uh-huh…" Mom muses while hugging me as hard as she can. "Oh, Jackie, I think you need to leave now, but write to me right when you are settled, okay?"

"I will, Mom. I promise!" I say as I kiss her cheek one last time and let go.

"Bye, Sweetheart," she tells me tearfully while I walk backwards, to the front door as I wave.

"Bye, Mommy!" I open the door and turn around. The last thing I see from the other side of the wall before I shut the door is Mom with her eyes closed and her arms crossed, her red hair covering most of her delicate body.

"Hi again! Are you ready, Jackie?"

I look up from the ground and see my new professor's concerned face staring at me. "Yeah, I guess I'll never be ready, so let's just go before I chicken out!"

Professor Longbottom chuckles, but not like last time. It has more of a funeral march to it, although it's probably my imagination. "I just sent your luggage to Hogwarts, and the way _we_are getting there is by side-apporation."

I laugh. "Err… okay. Let's do it!" I roll my eyes but I hope he doesn't see. When I am sad, I always have a bad temper.

"Here, hold my arm and I am going to spin us around in a sort of circle. This will feel a tad weird, but it gets better after the first time."

"Umm…" I place my hand firmly against his robed arm and before I can think to wave at my mom threw the glass front window, I guess I am apparating.

I feel compacted, like a thousand bricks are pushing down on my chest and my nose is stuffed up to the maximum from a bad flu. My black hair feels as if it is growing backwards and forcing back into my scalp. Owe, this is agony! What is happening???

But it is over in seconds as I hear birds chirping and while a light breeze blows my hair.

"Are you okay? I'm sorry! I should have told you to breathe deeply beforehand! My first time was dreadful, so I just wanted you to get it over with as quickly as possible! I'm sorry!" he says as he holds up all of my weight. I try to remember that I probably should not be clinging to my thirty-something year old teacher, but I think I might pass out if I let go.

"Mmmhhmmm…" I cough and get enough air supply to speak. "No, I'm fine! And it isn't as if you didn't warn me." My heartbeat lessens its loudness and quickness as I breathe in and out deeply. "I'm alright, don't worry."

Slowly, I stand up on my own. Just now I've realized how weird it is that humans are supported by twelve inches long and a couple inches wide bones and skin. It is amazing that we do not fall more often!

"Okay good! Welcome to Hogsmeade. _This,_" He points to around us, where a little cottage street lies. "is where you can hangout with your friends on certain days of the school year. Just don't lose the signed permission sheet that you mother gave you. We cannot apporate into Hogwarts, and this is the closest town to the castle, so everyone always travels here to get to there. Come and follow me this way, alright?"

"It is so picturesque here!" There are tiny shops with funny names, like Honeydukes, Zonko's Joke Shop, and The Three Broomsticks. There is a magical buzz all through the leaf fallen streets, and the small wind gives me the smell of sweets from the candy store, equipment from the joke shop, and cream from the café..

"Oh just wait until you see Hogwarts. This will seem just plain stupid when you can look up at the _castle_."

"So it really is a castle? I thought Professor McGonagall was exaggerating a bit."

"The headmistress never kids," he tells me as we walk along an old red brick path.

"Well that's good. Because then I would get confused very easily." I smile and look up at his face. Oh no, I'm looking at the scars again! "Ummm… Professor?"

"Yes, Jackie?"

"I know _nothing_ about the magical world…" I say slowly.

"You must know _something_…" He looks at me quizzically while we walk passed the gates of Hogsmeade and onto a plane dirt road.

"Nothing. And I am serious. I've been meaning to look at my school books, but my mom and I have been so busy! I only got them a couple of weeks ago, and then we moved halfway across the world. During the day, we've been unpacking everything, and at night I can't see because rats have cut away all chances of electricity!"

"That is unfortunate, Jackie. I think you will learn more about our world during school hours and from the friends you meet, but I really don't know how to explain anything that has happened in our community on a casual walk to the castle."

"I understand Professor… well, actually I don't, but- Wow!!!"

I have spotted it! Professor McGonagall _and _Professor Longbottom were _both_ under-exaggerating. Everything is so… amazing? I can't even think of the right possible words for this place. We have entered through tall black and impressive steel gates to a magnificent and… and magical world.

Faintly insight I can see a tip of a tower, but the hill ahead of us blocks every other chance at gawping.

The trees around me are completely different than even the trees in _England_. They move in a sort of daze next to huge dirt and grass hills. "Wow, Professor!"

We keep walking and I see a lake! Professor Longbottom tells me that it is called the Black Lake. It looks dangerously like and ocean and the water is black. I laugh. "Hence the name."

Across from the stormy and crashing waves, I _finally_can see the entire castle. It is huger than I even imagined, and trust me, my imagination went hay-wire this past month.

I've tried to count every tour, but it is impossible. I lost count after I got to fifty, and I got distracted because the professor says to beware of unicorns.

"And why's that?" I ask him casually while I try to picture a horse with a multi-colored horn on its head galloping towards me and letting me pet his silver mane.

"Mating season gets them all worked up. But I don't really know much about animals, so don't ask me anything more about _that_."

"Oh, alright, Professor."

The rest of the walk is brisk while we head threw the huge red and brown overgrown path that leads to Hogwarts castle in silence. None of it is awkward though, since we are both taking in all of the beautiful surroundings.

Nature is louder than I ever expected as I shut up. I can hear the roaring lake near by, and birds humming, chirping, and singing everywhere. Leaves of every tree around us are swaying and swishing, making their own type of music.

The temperature is in the low 70's, but Professor Longbottom tells me that it used to be freezing in the fall.

"Yeah, it's like this in Massachusetts, too. Global Warming is going to end up making the whole world turn into an ocean. Do you think we'll evolve in to mermaids?" I ask as I imagine myself with fins and a tail.

He laughs, but I can tell that he doesn't really understand my joke. "Well, mermaids are their own species so we wouldn't just _change _into them, but I get what you are saying. Although, the main reason it is such a different climate than it used to be is because Voldemort left us."

"What's that?" He must be mentioning some type of weather contraption… but then he stares at me pathetically so I know that I am wrong.

"The question is 'Who is he?'. Jackie, you _really _need to read your history of magic books. Voldemort has affected our whole magical world."

"So was he your… weather god?" I am failing to impress my teacher. Now Professor Longbottom isn't looking at my face, and I think he is trying to hide a smile as we walk up dirt stairs that lead to another path, although this one much smaller.

"Errr, no Jackie," he laughs and scratches his goatee. "Definitely _not _a weather god. I will just tell you that he was… and still is to this day… _everyone's _worst nightmare."

"Shi-Shoot! I think that I am in need of some magical history classes, Mr. Longbottom- I mean Professor… sorry…" My face turns red. All of these new terms I am supposed to use are hard to remember. Not only am I supposed to know about British every day words, but I am supposed to know about _magical _words! Where are the dictionaries when I need them?

We walk around a bend of trees and I come face to face with the castle's huge stone doors. "Oh! I did _not _see that coming!"

He smiles. "We are going through the back entrance of Hogwarts because this is closer to where your headmistress's office is. Your new classmates can show you around the main building once we have you situated, alright?"

"Umm… okay sure," is all I can really think to say, because at this moment, Professor Longbottom is opening the doors to my new home.

He leads me through the big entrance and into a stone hallway with lit torches hanging on each wall. It is cold and mostly empty in the palace-like place, with no students surrounding it, but I am even more intrigued with Hogwarts now. "How old is the castle, Professor?"

"Oh, no one really knows… around a thousand of years maybe? The four founders of the school are Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. You are going to get selected into one of their houses, Jackie."

"H-how will you know which… house I'll get picked into though? I don't know any magic what so ever, sir!"

"It is nothing to worry about! No one knows _anything _about magic when they come here. That is what all of _us _are for, Jackie. I'm supposed to teach you about the magical plants and medicines, but you'll also figure out how to make potions, transfigure objects, do charms, learn to care for animals, and learn how to defend yourself against what is out there. Even without all of this knowledge, Jackie, the trait you excel in could be intelligence, bravery, ambition, or kindness. You might even be a little bit of all of these. Those traits will help the sorter sort you into which ever house you'll go into," Professor Longbottom says soothingly while we echo through the long and hard hall.

I exhale what I have been holding in as my heart slows down. "What house did you go into?"

"There are four that you can get into; they are Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw, all named after the founders of course. I'm a Gryffindor," he tells me proudly.

"Oh? And what one is that?-"

"Definitely brave," he says while chuckling.

"That seems like the best one! I hope I get into their-" My voice cracks because Professor Longbottom and I are now standing beside a golden eagle statue that is spinning, making a golden staircase emerge.

"This is Headmistress McGonagall's office… be careful not to trip on the stairs. Trust me, they are narrow. I've already fallen down them seven times, and I have only worked here for six years."

I look at his trusting face to the magically moving stairs, sigh, and then move my foot onto the first step. "This is kind of like the escalators at malls… only this is run by magic, not by electricity."

I laugh as he asks what an escalator is. "Oh it's nothing very intere-" I gasp softly while Professor Longbottom and I reach the end of the staircase and he knocks on a light wooden door, making someone's voice from the other side of the door tell us to 'Come in.'

"There is _nothing _to be scared of, Jackie," he whispers before swinging the door open.

I gulp and nod to him while I walk through the room to where Professor McGonagall smiles up at me. "Welcome to Hogwarts, Ms Marshall! I am so glad you made it here so soon! Was the walk up to the castle alright?" she asks both of us.

"Oh it is magnificent here, Professor McGonagall! And not just the castle, either. It is everything around me that makes the whole place so beautiful!"

"Well I am glad that you like it here," she tells me kindly. "Thank you for getting our new student, Professor Longbottom!"

"Oh, it was a pleasure! Jackie is a very sweet girl, and it was fun to just be able to walk along the path to our castle… but I do have to go-"

"Of course, I am sorry! You should be healing the mandrakes because no one else knows how! You can go now, thank you!" she tells him briskly, but not in a rude way. He smiles to both of us happily and walks through the office door, shutting it on his way out.

Now I am alone with Professor McGonagall. I think I am scared of her, but I am not sure why exactly. Maybe she is too impressive for my small brain?

"You may sit down, Jackie." She waves her head to a padded red and velvet chair.

"Thank you." I was too nervous to look around the room before now. I comfortably sit down on the huge wooden chair across from McGonagall. "This room is amazing," I breathe while I take in the surroundings.

Everything is gold and sparkling, and the room is circular. All around me are bookshelves and drawers and desks, somehow fitting in the small room without it feeling crowded. In the background I can hear gadgets spinning and the gigantic fireplace crackling. A peppermint and chocolate smell wafts through the room and bright sunlight issues through a big square window, looking out into the stormy Black Lake.

"Isn't it? Every Head adds a little to the office, but I think Dumbledore had put in the most." She gazes around the room proudly.

"Now Minerva, I think the room is the neatest it has ever been once you took office years back!" says a jolly voice.

I jump in my seat and look around me. No one is there. "Who-who was that???"

McGonagall laughs as she points to a portrait of an old man with a long white beard and half-moon glasses smiling warmly at us from high up on the wall, behind the main desk and on the opposite side of the room as the door. "I-Is this magic as well?" I ask since the picture and the other ones that surround it are moving freely about their frames.

"Oh yes. I think that you will find everything in Hogwarts grounds are some-what bewitched. That is our last headmaster, Professor Albus Dumbledore. When the head dies, he or she gets put up onto the wall."

"Hello there, Jackie!"

"H-Hi! I've never talked to a painting before!" I laugh.

"Jackie."

"Yes, Professor?"

"We have to discuss certain things, and I would like us to be finished with all of it by the next hour and a half, when dinner is to be served, okay? We are going to have a feast to celebrate our new arrival!"

I smile and then realize that that she is talking about me. "Alright, thank you!"

She nods her head. "So first I think you should know that we are going to make you learn everything alongside the first years. You can still be considered a sixth year when it comes to dances and older student's privileges, but learning wise, you _are _at a first year level."

"Okay. That makes sense."

"Even for first year status, you are behind since it is October. You've missed a month of school, but since you are older than the other kids in your new classes, I think you will grasp all of the concepts quicker." I bite my lip, making sure that I do not smile as I imagine myself trying to make a chair float while a bunch of eleven year olds crowd around me.

"I can handle learning with eleven and twelve year olds."

"That's good! I was hoping you wouldn't feel too uncomfortable…"

"I'm perfectly fine with it. As long as I can hang out with people my age…"

"Of course you'll be able to do that, and your sleeping arrangement is going to be with the 6th year girls, too. We will just have to figure out what house you are in first."

"Can I know now?" I ask anxiously.

"_Well_…" she bites her lip and looks at my begging eyes. "Let me just explain to you my theory as to why you did not get an acceptance letter when you were eleven years old first."

"I have been wondering about that."

"Yes, well your magical abilities did not show up until you were eight or nine, am I right?" I nod my head. "Well usually magical children show sign when they are five to six, but you were late. Last month, I was talking to your mother about when you were younger and learned that you both do not know who your father is."

"That is correct," I tell her embarrassedly.

"Oh it is nothing to be ashamed of! It isn't as if you could help it. Your own mother was _raped_, Ms Marshall! The only one to blame for the confusing life you have begun to have is your birth father, and since we do not know who or where he is…"

"I was thinking that he might have been a wizard, Professor."

"That is exactly what I am thinking. But something might have gone wrong during conception."

I sink in my chair as my face turns bright red. It is one thing for her to talk about my father, another to be discussing _conception, _but why should she bring up my unknown _birth defect_?

"Please don't be embarrassed! I am not saying that you can't think properly or you are a crippled, Ms Marshall. I am just saying that, since during the time you were conceived your mother was forced to take the drug Rohypnol. She told me that she was scared that she could not remember the night before, so she went to the doctor. The doctor tested and found out that your mother took that specific drug," Professor McGonagall tells me. "I have never heard of any wizard to use muggle drugs, and especially for these purposes. We can only assume that the Rohypnol stunted your magical growth. Your magical powers are probably at the range of a first year, but your intelligence and heart are equal to a sixth year's."

I show her a small smile while I feel all of my insides begin to feel relaxed. It is nice to have a theory made by a professor, since I've been wondering about this detail of my life all month. "Thank you for telling me this. I'm glad that we know what happened…"

"But remember, that is just a guess. I will look into this further, but I'm afraid that we won't ever know any of this for a fact."

I nod my head again, but I already sort of know before she says this. I guess if I know why this happened or not, it doesn't make a difference.

"Alright, so I've mentioned everything that you _specifically _need to know. Now I think we need to sort you into your new house! The way we will know what house you get into is by a hat. The founders of this school created it, making sure that the hat knows what type of witch or wizard goes into which house, according to their traits. I am going to put _this_," McGonagall gets off of her armchair and walks to one of the small wooden shelves, reaching for a huge a battered brown wizard's hat. "on your head and then it will decide the rest."

"Really? That is so neat!" I say with intrigue while the palms of my hands are slick with sweat. All of the houses sound good to get into, but I am not sure that I am even 'magical' enough to get into one of them.

Before I say anything else, Professor McGonagall walks back over to where I am and places the hat on top of my black hair. It falls way down and past my eyes, making everything around me go away. I am in a complete black universe while I wait patiently for it to decide.

On top of my scalp I can hear a light ripping noise, and the next second is filled with a male's voice saying, "It's a bit early for sorting, isn't? I haven't come up with a song yet…"

"We have a new student though. Can you sort Ms Marshall, please?" Professor McGonagall says to (I guess) the hat. "There is no need for a sorting song. Don't worry."

"Oh alright," what seems to be the hat grumbles in my ear. "Well let's see here… You are a bit –hmmm- and you are definitely –uh huh-. Yes, she would make a good- but what about –well-" it mutters to it's self as it thinks. I can hear a loud buzzing in my ears and my eyes fill with black spots, while I feel close to passing out. I am not very good when it comes to waiting for big news. The buzzing gets louder, but stops immediately when the sorting hat speaks up again, louder this time since it is meant to be heard by Professor McGonagall and I. "Jacqueline Marshall will be best off in Gryffindor."

I smile so big at the last word that my face turns red with embarrassment.

"Congratulations! You are in my house!" she says as she lifts the hat back off me and places it on the shelf again.

"Oh really? Well this is exciting! I wanted to be picked into this house, Professor!" I tell her in relief.

Professor smiles a little. "In my opinion, you are in the best house, Ms Marshall." She looks at the watch on her right and freckled arm. "A sixth year is supposed to meet you by my office at 4:00 to show you to your dormitory, so why don't you go down the stairs and wait. It is 5 till and they may be early. I will send your luggage to your Gryffindor dormitory now that we know where you will live for the next year."

"A-Alright, Professor. Thank you for explaining everything to me then," I say as I shake her hand and walk towards the door.

"Oh, and Ms Marshall?"

"Yes?" I turn around and face her again.

"In the future, you are supposed to wear your uniform when you are not in your own common room or dormitory," she tells me as she looks me up and down.

"Oh," I mumble as I feel my face turning redder and redder. "Yes of course, sorry."

"It's fine. Just remember for tomorrow, on Sunday."

"I will," I say while I wave to her and speed through the door.

Quietly, I walk down the spiral staircase, not bothering to wait for the stairs to move. For the first time since I woke up, I am alone. I breathe in deeply as I try not to feel homesick, but sadly I already am missing my mom.

I am going to have to write to her when I am led to my new room, but first I need to _find _my 'leader'.

I finally reach the bottom of the staircase so I leap off it and go across the hall. My feet are slipping across the smooth stone ground so I stop walking and put my back against the surprisingly warm wall.

It feels like the longest trip I have ever been on, although it has only been a couple of hours since I have seen Mom. I take another deep breath and close my eyes, leaning my head back and sliding down the wall, meeting the hard ground's surface.

* * *

Chapter one is complete! I'm so proud :')

If you see any grammar or misspellings, tell me!!!!!!! It is important!

I've read it four times, but it is kind of long so I end up getting distracted after I am on 5,000 words :) I AM SORRY!

Guess what I am listing to on my newly fixed record player... that just broke!!!!! Meet the Beatles!!!! I love that album so much, it is sad :O

If you liked it, review! If you didn't like it, review and tell me why you didn't like it! If you don't know if you like it or not, REVIEW! :)

-Maia


	2. Success

Soooo... To the few readers that I have, I hope you enjoy :) and to the TONS that are about to follow the 'It Won't Be Long' train, I hope you love it just as much =]

Please review! Cause I only have zero of those pieces of heaven... and that isn't very many lol

story time:

Chapter Two: Success

"Hello, are you… Jacqueline Marshall?" a teenage guy's voice says as I smack my face across the brown stone wall in shock.

"Oh, shit!" My face feels as if it is on fire while I try to calm my now red with pain face down. "Sorry," I mutter, opening my eyes and getting back off the hallway's ground. "Yes, I'm Jackie. Who are you?"

"James Potter." He has his hand out so I shake it. "Nice shirt."

"Wha-" I turn my head to glance down at my Yellow Submarine t-shirt. "Oh yeah. Thanks. People like them here, right?" I ask while I look at him in detail.

He seems to be my age and he is very tall. Compared to me, at least, but I am only five feet. Maybe he is six feet… five inches? That is still _really _tall.

James Potter has a very handsome face and his bright red hair is sexily messy and as long as the Beatles' mop top in their early years. He has wire rimmed glasses, making him look sophisticated and smart, although I can tell that he is anything _but _sophisticated, from his provocative light milk chocolate eyes that are surrounded by a field of long black eyelashes.

James Potter is officially the hottest guy I have ever met. He wears long, black, and billowing robes, fitting and forming onto his muscular back and shoulders perfectly while his dark pink plump lips are fixed into a smirk to show that he knows he looks good. Hmmm… wonder if guys are like this all over Hogwarts?

"Sort of… not everyone knows who the Beatles are-"

"What? How can people not know who they are? That is impossible! They changed everyone's life through art!" I freak out as we walk through the hallways.

"Wow obsessive much…" he tells me quietly.

I look at him. "Am I supposed to even be following you?" I ask as I realize that he never told me why he is in the hall.

"Yeah. I was the first volunteer to show you around." He smiles crookedly while my face flushes.

"Oh alright. Well, thank you I guess…" I mutter, looking down at the ground.

"Oh, no problem." This conversation is going no where…

"So… ummm… I know nothing about Hogwarts. Would you like to –errr- explain something about –umm- life to me?" I ask as we turn the corner of the hallway and enter a larger and even colder one.

"You know _nothing _about it?" He just stares at me while he slows down walking. I look back at him and realize that he is a red-head without many freckles. How does this keep happening? First my mother, and now him?

Oh great, he wants me to say something…

"Well actually, I know nothing about anything that has to do with… magic." God! I am sounding so pathetic and worthless right now, but it isn't my fault that no one will explain anything to me!

"Ummm… what do you want to know about it?" James drags his masculine hands through his brilliantly untidy hair.

"The history of everything, I guess. Professor Longbottom mentioned a name that 'everyone fears' or something while we were walking to the castle earlier. I can't remember what it was though-"

"Voldemort," he cuts me off. "Right?" I nod. What an idiotic name to be called… I wonder if he had been born with that name. Either way though, it is kind of a creepy one… "Yeah, he was scary, I guess. I wasn't alive then. He died a couple years before my birth, but my dad tells me a ton of stories about it all."

"But are they all real plots?" I feel that most people exaggerate the life of bad people, and witches and wizards must not be that different… "Like, what did Voldemort _do_ to the community?"

James looks at me again, but now it is in an annoyed way. "He-he tried to murder every muggleand magical person with muggle parents in the… the world. Muggles are non-magic people, if you don't know already." His voice catches when he says 'murder' while shivers run along my spine.

"So basically… my family, friends, and I?" James' eyes are soft when he nods. "He really did aim when he shot then, didn't he?"

"Umm… sure, yeah… He just wanted to get rid of anyone who wasn't 'pure blood' or everyone who didn't have a mom and dad who were witches or wizards, which is pathetic and useless, especially because even _he _wasn't pureblood. Voldemort makes me sick. I'm glad _we _didn't haveto live around him. Cause it wasn't just Voldemortwho killed. He had supporters (they are still around, mind you, but they are lessening as the days go by) called death-eaters. Both he and they killed 'traitors', 'mudbloods', and 'dirt'."

"Traitors are the ones supporting… muggles, mudbloods are the ones without magical parents, and –err- dirt is a muggle? That is disgusting." I really do feel sick to my stomach.

"Pretty much…"

"Where was he most powerful?"

"All around Europe, but really, he affected the entire world. Even climate wise!" he tells me excitedly as we keep walking through deserted halls.

"So who finally finished him off, James?" I ask while we walk single file up a staircase.

I see him smiling boyishly in front of me as he answers. "Oh, you know… everyone tried to weaken him," James says nonchalantly. "There was a group, the Order of the Phoenix, whose job was to weaken him, but when Voldemort took over the Ministry of Magic, it kind of ended. Voldemort some how split his soul into seven and hid them all across the world. The only way to have ended him was to destroy all seven horcruxe, and then actually kill Voldemorthimself with man-to-man combat. The old headmaster found out about this and destroyed one of the horcruxe, but he died before finding any more."

"Oh wow! My principal is so weak compared to _your _old one! He even gave in to having pizza two times a week in the cafeteria, last year!" I look around for him, but James is no where in sight. "James? Ummm… I've never been here before and this castle is big, remember. I might die if I try to find my way to the Gryffindor hangout area alone…-"

"I'm right here." His head pops out from behind a curtain while laughing. James grabs my hand, dragging me through what I thought to be a tapestry, not a hidden room. "But as I was saying… _my _father, Harry Potter, was supposed to be murdered when he was about one year old, by Voldemort."

"Oh that is horrible! What happened?" The magical world is pretty intense… and I thought that American_muggles_ were dangerous.

"Some how the curse that Voldemorthit Dad with backfired, making _Voldemort _weak and Dad gain some of Voldemort's powers. Voldemort had a_ ton _of power, but he vanished when his powers died (when he hit Dad with the killing curse). He gained power again when Dad was in fourth year here, and kept building up more and more as my dad learned more and more about Voldemort's past."

"Wow!" I tell him with wide eyes as we walk side by side, our feet moving slower and slower while I listen to the amazing story.

"Yeah! So anyway, Dumbledore, the old headmaster, was very close to my dad because Dad did not have a father or mother figure to look up to (my grandparents were murdered by Voldemort the night he tried to kill my dad), and he knew that my _dad _was supposed to either get murdered by Voldemort, or be the murderer and get rid of Voldemort once and for all. Dumbledorerather wanted Dad to stay alive, and really wanted our magical world to not be taken over by Voldemort, so he trained Dad. Also, he explained about the split souls, also called horcruxes."

"Oh my god! But wasn't he just a teenager?" I have my black nail-polished hands to my mouth as I look at him, shocked.

"So one time my sixteen year old dad went on a mission with Dumbledore because Dumbledore thought he knew where one of the horcruxes was hidden (Only one had been destroyed so far). They went into a stormy cave, across a bewitched corpse filled lake type thingy. Dumbledore drank a pitcher full of poison so that they could get the horcruxe, ending up making his whole body week. The corpse (also called inferi) came alive and started attacking Dad, but Dumbledore used all of his energy to rescue him. That night, in the castle, Dumbledore was murdered by one of our potions masters that used to work here. My brother got his middle name from the guy!"

"What?" I say in astonishment while we sit down facing each other on a stone bench that is near by. Just like every other hall that I have been in, it is empty.

"Dumbledoreis dead, and my dad is left to saveall of the magical community, alongsidemy Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron (both of which are not blood related to Dad, by the way). In seventhyear they decideto not show up at Hogwarts because it is taken over by a type of death-eaters, and instead, they search for all of the horcruxe. Many, many, many people died as they slowly but surely found each and every single horcruxe before Dad's eighteenth birthday, while Voldemort and all of his supporters try to find, whip, and kill my dad, the mudblood, and the blood-traitor."

I stare at him in shock. "Ummm-"

"Well in the spring of 1997, students, teachers, order members, and death-eaters risked their lives, fighting in this very hallway, but Dad and Voldemortwere the only ones to ever decideeveryone's future. So many from each side were murdered (including my Uncle Fred, Aunt Tonks, and Uncle Lupin), but surprisingly enough, the one person Voldemort really wanted to die survived all three killing curses that hit him. And in the end, Harry and Voldemort preformed the final battle in front of all Hogwarts. Voldemortwas so weak now that it wasn't even funny, and Dad ended up finishing him off with a simple 'expellereomis'," James finishes, coughing slightly as I look at him in terror.

"Are you serious?" I ask in astonishment.

"Yes," James says simply, smiling at me.

"Wow, I feel that I just walked in to a very unsafe world today…" I mutter.

"It feels like that sometimes, but don't worry. That happened way before we were born, and that was considered a war, not every day life." James gets off the stone bench and grabs my hand, tugging me up. "So I told McGonagall that I'd have you settled in before the feast, and that requires going to the common room."

"I thought you were leading me there though…" I say in confusion.

"What? Oh yeah… I was, but I got so caught up in the excitement that I forgot about where we were supposed to go…"

"Well do you know where we are?" I ask hysterically while I looked around us. This hallway looks exactly the same as every other one I've been through. Great…

"Its fine, Jackie. I have a map." He reaches his hand inside his robe pocket and tugs out a yellowish brown piece of paper.

"Ugh, you still need a map, and you've been here for at least six years!" I close my eyes and inhale deeply. I bet I'll get lost by tomorrow…

"Okay Jackie, you are just going to have to calm down. I've probably been here before, but not in a while. There are some main halls that all of the students take, so when I'm in one that I haven't been in for a long time, I forget where I am," he says evenly while I look at him.

His face is covered by the map and his fingers keep tapping on the paper impatiently. I can see the top of his smooth forehead, which has some freckles but no trace of scars.

I'm going to have to ask him why all of the older witches and wizards look so beat up. Was it all from Voldemort?

"We are right _here_." James holds out the map to show me.

"What _is _this? Wow! It has my name on it!" I say, completely forgetting what I am going to ask as I take it from him and pace across the room, searching for Gryffindor tower on the piece of paper. "How does it know that I'm here- Hey!" I stare at the dot on the map labeled 'Jacqueline (Jackie) Marshall', which paces back and forththrough a hallway on the ninth floor. "This is amazing! How does it do that?"

James walks towards me and captures the thick map. "I have no idea really… but my grandpa made it when he was in school, along with his friends."

"Is that considered genius? Cause the stories that I have so far heard are coming from you and they are all about your family. So this means that all magical families have crazy stories too…"

"Not really. The Potter family is just kind of blessed with the 'going down in history' boat. We are all very smart and very brave. It is in our nature…" James shrugs as I look at him.

"Ummm I don't know what to say to that…" I tell him uncomfortably.

"That I'm modest, right?" he jokes, laughing while he takes my hand in his large one and leading us through a door and up a flight of stairs.

We walk for a while in silence, making me focus in to the surroundings. "So… you are in my grade, right?"

"Yeah, sixth year for you too, I'm pretty sure…"

I nod my head. "Are the classes har-" I stop talking when James forces us to a halt. "Why are we not walking?"

"Okay, so I feel this is the best view of the inside of Hogwarts. It is amazing, but in a freaky way."

I bite my lip and exhale slowly. "Oh great, now I'm scared, James…" I walk forward to where 'the great view' is, but he stops me again.

"Jackie, you just need to take a deep breath and relax. Are you always this tense?" James asks as he turns me around to look at him. Why does he think it is okay to touch me and complain about my personality? I've only just met him!

I shrug out from his firm grip. "You do not know what I've been through this past month. And _no_, James, I am not always this tense. I used to act perfectly _normal_, but then I found out about my 'new life', and now I'm on edge… _Sorry _if I am not acting according to your plans, okay? I will just stop talking if that is alright with you!" I cross my arms as I walk to the thick light brown stone banister that is a couple of feet away, where the supposed great view is. An arch blocks everything else next to the banister.

I ignore James' complaints while I go through the arc.

I gasp. I had put both hands on the railing, and now I am looking _down_. _Way _down. The floor is maybe _ten_ _stories_ down, and with each level having _high_ ceilings.

The wall across from me is filled with all types of portraits, and just like in the headmistress's office, the paintings in them are moving and talking. Every painting has a different shaped and sized frame, but they all are golden and thick.

As I look down again, I can see many staircases with students of all ages walking and laughing and talking to each other. They all have on the black uniform, but just like at any other school with forced consistency each student has their own tweaks to the outfit.

To each side of me are _huge _windows. They are _gigantic_! They start all the way at the bottom of the castle, and end way up _there_, higher than I can see. "James, come over here! Look at this!" I tell him, momentarily forgetting my anger towards him.

I hear his footsteps get louder and louder, until he leans next to me on the balcony. James looks at me for a second before rolling his eyes. "What ever… forget it."

I stare back at him dejectedly. "Stop! I didn't mean to snap or anything and now you are making me feel bad! I feel like I don't really have a home right now and you are acting like I'm retarded, which I already think I am!"

He smiles. "It's fine. Just wanted you to realize how random you are today… although, I shouldn't say anything because I've only _just _met you."

I roll my eyes. "Ummm yeah, exactly-"

We look back at the building in front of us, leaning closely together as we concentrate.

"My favorite part is how we can see out to both sides of Hogwarts. Through one window are the Black Lake and the beach. Threw the other is the huge Forbidden Forest."

Until this moment I had been focused on _just _the window. Now that he mentions it, I block out the wooden frame and cracks, and focus solely on all types of sceneries that can be seen through the glass. I sigh. "Wow that's beautiful! I can't believeI live here now!"

"Yeah! And it shows all sorts in this entry way sort of thing. There are all of the obnoxious students down below. Random bits of history are on the walls in front of us. And to the side, we just get to see the good-looking plant life."

"Mmmhmmm…" I say as I lye my head on his shoulder tiredly. "Yeah it is perfect here."

James nods and puts his arm on my waist uncomfortably.

"James! _James! _JAMES, WHAT ARE YOU _DOING_?" A high pitched squeal says from below.

James quickly lets go of me as I snap my head off his shoulder, causing a huge kink in my neck.

"Oh hi, Lizzie!" He smiles cockily down to what I am guessing is a female student from the stairs below us, while I vigorously massage my neck in pain. As soon as it came, it goes away though.

I lean my body forward on the railing, looking down to find a blondecurly haired girl glaring at me with her hands on her hips, surrounded by many students as she says to James, "What is _that_, and what are you _doing _with it?"

"Hey, don't be mean, Liz-" James shouts down to her.

"Ummm hi? I'm Jackie!" I yell down to her while the students surrounding 'Lizzie' slowly grow silent and still, beginning to watch the scene that she, I, and James are making. "I'm –err- new here…"

"Oh? Well that guy you were leaning on earlier is my _boyfriend_, just to tell you!" she yells, although I am not positive that she does this because we are far away from each other…

"We're just dating," James mutters so that only I can hear.

"Ummm… yeah I'm sorry –err-, Lizzie. I –umm- didn't know." I smile at her apologetically. "He was just showing me to the Gryffindor common room…"

"The common room isn't even over here…" A red haired girl who looks to be twelve or thirteen tells me. "And I am pretty sure James knows that." She glares at him from below as he smiles to her, Lizzie, and me guiltily.

"Uhhh… yeah must have forgotten, Lils…"

"Hey, I'll show you to the common room. My ass of a cousin is probably just trying to get into your pants," says another red headed girl, although this one looks to be in fifth or fourth year and she has a bushy mess of hair in a huge tide up confusion.

I cough and scoot farther away from James. "Err… James I think I am going to –err- do that. Thanks for –umm- showing me around?"

I start walking down the staircase to the left of me as he lifts his hands in annoyance. "Oh come on, Jackie! That's just Rose talking, the most uptight person at school, and I'm counting McGonagall in the picture! I was just having fun with you. I'll really show you to the Gryffindor tower now."

"Ummm… errr bye James…" I mutter as my face turns red and the crowd a couple floors down begin to move and make noise once more.

I feel dizzy while I go around and around what I guess is a tower, following the staircase until I reach the flaming haired girl leaning on the huge window.

"Hi, I'm Rose Weasley, a Gryffindor prefect. You are the new student Jackie Marshall, right?" she asks me brightly, holding up a perfectly manicured hand towards me.

"Yeah, yeah I am!" I say, feeling much more comfortable talking to her than apparently her cousin.

"I'm sorry that James had to be the person to show you around… I am pretty sure that their first period professor, Professor Trelawney took the earliest volunteer to show you around. She's brain dead…" Rose shutters. "I was about to take divination last year, but my mum told me that that was the _wrong _way to go." She smiles and tucks a strand of frizzy hair behind her ear. "So everyone has a theory as to why you are here, but I don't think you are _really _a spy from Durmstrang, are you?"

"Uhhh… I don't really know where that is…" I bite my lip and smile as we walk back up the stairs and pass James' pissed-off face.

"Bye James," she says, waving and sticking out her tongue to him.

"Oh, whatever, Rose. See you at team practice after dinner then. Thanks for deserting me by the way, Jackie," he says while I look at him apologetically and go through the hallway I was in minutes before.

"Just ignore him. James isn't really upset," Rose tells me as I laugh.

"So you're in Gryffindor?"

"Yeah, but isn't it obvious?" She drags her small hand through the long and frizzy red hair, smiling.

"Ummm… oh yeah! You have the badge on your robes. It was covered by your book-bag when I asked," I say embarrassedly.

"No, what I meant was that I have red hair…?" I look at her quizzically. What is she talking about? "Ummm…" she starts pathetically. "I am a Weasley, and all Weasleys have had flaming red hair and been in Gryffindor. It's been like that ever since there _were _Weasleys, so people just put two and two together…"

I nod my head. "I thought I was a muggleuntil last month, so I know nothing about the generations of witches and wizards, sorry!" I smile again as we go up two flights of stairs and across a hall withmore golden frames filled with portraits.

Rose stops suddenly and grabs my hand because I am still walking. "This is the portrait hole. It is hidden because the professors do not want other houses to sneak inside our house. We have a password, also. Right now, it is 'Ipocrase'."

"Ummm… isn't that a medieval drink?" I ask her, laughing slightly. "I only know that because my mom thought it would be fun to go to a medieval festival, but…" My face blushes.

"The Fat Lady had her annual 'welcome back' party last month." Rose laughs, making her whole face light up and her blue eyes to sparkle.

"Who's the Fat Lady?"

"Password?" asks an annoyed middle aged women in a portrait, to the wall in front of us. She has on a long bright green gown and her golden hair is up in a loose bun. Although, the only thing I'm pretty sure people see in this woman's portrait is her plumpness.

"So is there a… door behind here?" I ask Rose while trying to unglue the picture from the wall and get to the door.

"No. This _is _the entrance to the common room," Rose tells me, moving my hand away from the frame. "Ipocrase," she says as the portrait winks and swings herself and the golden frame towards us. "Watch your step. There's a bit of a slope right here."

"Oh," I say in surprise. I step over and into the hole in the wall, entering a dimly lit hall. "What is with Hogwarts and their hallways? I thought we were heading to the common room?"

"We are… Come on. It's just over there."

"Yeah, I see it now," I mutter when I see a door to the end of the tunnel.

Rose opens the door when we reach it and my eyes go in to immediate shock.

A warm light issues from the circular room as I enter. Students of all ages surround it, immersed in different activities, all laughing, chatting, or just plain smiling. A huge and homey rock fireplace is to the right of us as students lounge on the couch surrounding it.

The main theme to the room is red, gold, and brown, I notice, while I look around again. A huge maroon rug lies on top of an expensive looking dark hardwood floor.

The room is lit by only candle light, but everything is surprisingly bright and cheerful, like a spell has been cast along the room but the candles are just there for effect.

Lots of the older students stare as Rose leads me across the small and toasty room, smiling kindly. What looks to be the 6th and 7th year boys are leaning against walls and studying me creepily.

"Okewww…" Rose states. "I'm sorry the boys are acting disgusting, but they haven't seen a woman who they haven't practically grown up with in a while now. They'll get used to you soon enough…"

"So are magical men always this good looking, or is it just in Britain?" I whisper while we go up a curved staircase.

"What do you mean?" she asks, her hair flying around her happily.

"Well…" I can't really _tell _why they look so different, but there is _definitely _something better about these teenagers than the guys at my old home. "Oh! Well none of them have any blemishes! And they look as if they've actually bathed in the last day or two! They look like Calvin Klein models!"

Rose stops walking and turns to face me, smiling. "Those are all the great things about this magical world. The acne medications work. The hair products work. And the cleansing spells always work. I haveno idea what I would do if I had to live like a muggle!" She quickly looks me up and down as I feel my face start to blush. "Well you're alright though. I guess it's just the guys who would really need to work on their hygiene."

"Yes, yes they definitely do," I state.

"Alright, this is your dormitory door. You'll live at this room until you leave Hogwarts in the end of 7th year." Rose is looking at the short door in front of her, so I do the same. "The only one's who can open it are you, your dorm mates, and the professors, although you will be able to open it for others if they want to come in."

"Oh! I'm so close to seeing my living quarters! Ahhh!" I squeal while I inch closer and closer to the door. "On the count of three, I guess…"

She laughs airily while we count "One… Two… _Threeee_…!"

I throw the door open excitedly. "Oh…" I say softly. "Ummm…"

An about five foot eight inch dirty-blond wavy haired girl has her body leaning into a very tall and messy black haired male, both kissing lovingly as Rose and I stare.

"Oi!" Rose yells, walking into the room with as much loud thumps as she can make with her small feet.

The couple jump apart and look at Rose, flushing brightly. "Shit…" the teenage boy mutters.

"That is disgusting, Al. This is the second time this week that I've walked in on you and Clara snogging!" Rose tells the dark, dark brown and untidy haired boy disgustedly. "He's James' brother, in case you wondering, Jackie."

He grins boyishly down at me as I look at his tall and lanky frame. He pushes his wire-rimmed glasses up his nose, slightly annoyed at the metal. They are the same type of glasses that James has.

I direct my self at the blondehaired Clara as she wipes her mouth and fixes her 60's styled blouse, turning to face us when she is done. "That was a bit embarrassing… and I'm sorry that you had to witness it, Rose- Jackie! Jacqueline Marshall? My new roommate? Hi! I'm Clara Finnegan! It's nice to meet you!" she squeals and skips over to me, holding out her arms.

I hold out my hand to shake hers, but instead she hugs me. "Oh! Hi! It's nice to meet you too, Clara!" I say once she releases me.

"Oh yes thank you!"

"And I'm Al Potter," says the guy she had been making out with earlier. "Her boyfriend and Rose's cousin." He shakes my hand and smiles.

I smile at them all, although I just look at Al at first. He has crazy gem like green eyes, like emeralds. Al's dimples show as he smiles, and he looks to be the exact height as James'. "Wow! You look exactly like James, besides the lack of red hair and freckles…" I muse, more to myself than anyone around me.

"Oh, I know! They are so similar!" Clara agrees happily. "And he is just _gorgeous _looking, isn't he?" She hugs Al and kisses his lips lightly. "I think it is in the Potter blood!" Rose rolls her eyes. "Oh, it's in the Weasley blood also, Rose! You have such great bone structure and you're not crazy tall, I'm jealous!"

"Honey, you're beautiful," Al says, just like any boyfriend should as Rose smiles, but looks annoyed as Clara laughs happily.

"I'm gonna go cause I want to finish my weekend homework, but it was nice meeting you, Jackie. See you at the feast."

"Oh, yeah, bye Rose," I say sadly as she waves and walks through the door, heading up more stairs to what I am sure to be _her _dorm room.

"Hi, Jackie! I'm just so excited to have you as my roommate!" Clara says to me while she bounces onto a four-poster bed.

I look around and see four of the same looking beds, although three of them have a ton of different and colorful blouses, skirts, and khakis.

The same hardwood floor is in the dormitory as it is in the common room, and there is a medium sized window that looks out to the Black Lake.

"I'm so glad to have a cheerful roommate! I thought that I would get stuck with an evil one who automatically hated me," I say to them.

"Thanks! And your other two roommates are super sweet, so don't worry about them either."

"Oh alright! What's their names?"

"Tillie and Beatrice. They're really nice and really smart, so you'll get along with them easily." Clara grabs her wand, magicingher toenails to a different shade of purple. "Hey, honey?"

"Yeah?" asks Al awkwardly.

"You can go if you want. I feel I'm about to bond with, Jackie, and I don't want you to get bored."

"Oh, sure right. Bye, Clara." He kisses her lightly on the cheek. "Bye Jackie!" Al waves and walks through the exit, shutting the door behind him.

"So how do you like Hogwarts?" Clara asks.

"Oh you know, it's really nice. I'm gonna have to get used to it though…"

"Yeah, I know what you mean." She scratches her head. "Everything is so… grand. Almost like a real king and queen could live here." I nod my head in agreement. "You'll get used to it soon though. I didn't really hang out in the Wizard Community when I was younger, so I was freaking out when I went here at first. Now though, I like it even more than my house with my mum and dad!"

"Really? I'm so relieved 'cause everyone is telling me how they love the place! I hope I get used to it quickly though!"

"Oh, you will," Clara says with confidents. "Your shirt is amazing, by the way. I have the same Beatles t-shirt at my flat in England."

I laugh. "Thanks! It's kind of awkward walking around school in it though… I didn't realize we were supposed to wear our uniform on the weekends!" I blush.

"Oh it's no big deal. Everyone is probably jealous 'cause you didn't get into trouble wearing your outfit. If you want though, you can change into the uniform. Your stuff arrived here about a half hour ago."

"Really?" I look to the neatly made bed next to the door opposite me which has my three boxes, owl cage, and duffle bag on top of it. Oh, thank God McGonagall let me keep all of the stuff! "Yeah, I'll do that."

I walk across the room, stepping over uniforms and books and underwear, trying not to cringe. I am a bit of a neat freak, but I guess I'll just have to get used to it…

By my green duffle bag there is a light yellow ripped piece of paper with a small and scribbley paragraph on it.

"Oh yeah, James stopped by and gave me that note to give you. He's such a sweetheart. You are lucky to already be friends with him!" Clara says, noticing where my stare leads.

I blush. "We aren't really friends… I mean, I've only just met him…"

"Don't worry. I didn't read it. Well actually, he put a spell on it so only _you _can read it, but still! I didn't read it." Clara smiles as I pick up the paper.

"Hey wait a sec. How did he give this to you before I got here? Rose and I never stopped walking, heading here… and we _passed _James!"

"Oh, James is the king prankster. He knows every single secret passageway, so that when the prank goes too far, he can hide and pretend he never did it… it's been going on for centuries in his family. Al is exactly the same, when it comes to Hogwarts."

"James had a map when he showed me around," I tell her.

She laughs. "I knew that they had to have _something_!"

I nod and begin to read James' messy handwriting. Only one boy has written a note to me before.

_Jackie,_

_I'm sorry that I made you feel so uncomfortable when we were talking to Lizzie! I was a bit of a jerk, and shouldn't have been leading you on when we were walking together. I had momentarily forgotten I had a girlfriend type thing in the picture. My sister and cousin really did not help me much by making me sound like a complete rapist (that was just Lily and Rose talking... who'd rather love my life to be a living hell. I don't think I'm _that _bad)… Again, I am sorry. See you in the Great Hall for the feast, and maybe we can go to Hogsmeade the next visit?_

_-James_

I fold the note carefully in to fourths and cautiously slide it in my duffle bag, my blush crawling down below the neck of my yellow shirt. Smiling slightly before reminding myself that James is different than every other boy I have met. He probably does this to every girl who is older than fourteen.

"Ooooh what did it say?" Clara asks, speeding over to where the duffle bag is and helping me unzip it without making it explode, helpfully.

"It really wasn't anything special…" I mumble while pulling out the first set of clothes I can see in-between the zipper of my bag.

"Well that's good. He _does_ have a girlfriend…" she muses (and giggles, although she has been doing that almost every time she speaks). "This is the first time he's dated someone older than him, and he doesn't seem to like it much… I'll bet they'll be done by the end of the week."

I snort. "That's tomorrow, Clara…" I don't bother zipping up my duffle bag again, knowing that I will unpack soon enough. Quickly, I throw off my baggy t-shirt and reach for my new white blouse that goes with the school uniform.

"What a cute bra! Did you get it at 'Elizabeth's Underground'?" She asks me. "God, I want everything from that store!"

I laugh. "Is that like 'Victoria's Secret'? No, I didn't get it there, but thanks."

"Oh, I've heard of Victoria's Secret, but they don't have any of those over here. That's funny that they have the same sort of name! Maybe they're owned by the same people!" she says to me chirpily as I dive my hands through the sleeves of the blouse and start buttoning up the small white buttons. "Oh no, no one buttons it up that high on top and that low on the bottom. Here, I'll show and teach you everything about Hogwart's fashion!"

Clara looks as if she's wanted to say this for a while, at the same time as I feel my whole body shrinking with embarrassment.

"Alright, sure, Clara."

"Okay good! _Makeover_!" she squeals. "Everyone is going to want to _be, _or date you when I'm finished! Although, I am pretty sure all the girls and boys want to do that already, but I think we still need to teach you the ins and outs of Hogwarts anyway."

"I understand." I smile as she points her wand at my grey plaid skirt that I had pulled out of my bag, turning it into a mini skirt in one instant. "Is this allowed?"

"Nope!" She laughs while I look at her in horror. "Don't worry! Every girl at school does it. Even 1st years!"

I gulp down and think about what kinds of consequences I can get myself in to. "Ummm well I guess this is like at my old school. For P.E., we would always roll up our black shorts and tie up our P.E. shirts…?"

"Exactly, but we just need to make sure you don't look easy or anything. You just need to look cute."

"Oh, alright, you've convinced me," I say as her eyes go back to their normal self, and away from the pleading puppy-dog stare she was giving me earlier.

"Thank you! Okay, put this on." Clara hands my the grayish blue plaid and pleated mini skirt which now has three black buttons on the right side of it. "I thought it needed something more to it… and your other roommate, Beatrice, found them lying in the library yesterday. We might as well use them!"

I just shake my head in amusement while I tug off my tight black stretch pants and fold them neatly onto my red comforter-ed bed. It's freezing as the cold air hits my bare legs, the temperature not changing, even as I shove my legs into the mini skirt.

"I forgot that I brought my stockings!" I say relieved, searching feverishly through my bag and finally feeling a thick and stretchy material in between my fingers. "Oh thank god!"

I pull them over my left leg, and then my right leg, underneath my skirt as fast as possible before my body freezes up, and only getting tangled up in them once. Proudly, I flatten where the thick grey stalking wrinkles up, on my knees and ankles, and look for my _adorable_ shiny black Mary Jane high heeled shoes.

"Oh my god, you are going to look gorgeous in those!" Clara tells me once I have pulled the shoes out from my duffle bag. "And I though you were a tomboy!" she says, eyeing the shoes jealously.

"Nope!" I take my time as I slide my grey clothed foot into the shining shoe and buckle it up with the single black strap.

"_God, _I am so jealous of those! I've just got these old ones, but they're –well- old." She smiles. "Okay, finish up how you think you should look or whatever, while I get changed for dinner. It starts in about…" Clara looks at the pink old fashioned alarm clock on her bedside table, where the hour hand sits very close to the huge black number six. "fifteen minutes!"

"I feel I might be sick…" I tell her while I quickly and carelessly put my left foot into the other shoe and shakily close the buckle of the strap.

"Remember to fix the shirt buttons! And put the tie on loosely…" Clara says from behind a sweater that she pulls on. "I'll fix your face in a sec."

"Oh yeah. Forgot about that." I walk across the room, fixing what she said to fix as I go, where a dark wooden stand up mirror is, looking at my appearance. Neck down, I look (if I do say so myself) very attractive. My face is the only problem.

"Alright," Clara says, panting slightly while she hurries over to me, now wearing a skirt that matches mine (although hers doesn't have buttons), the Mary Janes she was talking about, a grey and maroon sweater over her white blouse, and her hair in a loose ponytail. "Okay, so I learned this one spell that made my whole complexion glow and look amazing, in my second year. I haven't had acne since. If you may have noticed, pretty much everyone at this school is beautiful, face-wise, and that is just because of these beautiful and magical face creams and spells. Would you like me to put the spell on your face?"

I smile, amazed. "Well if you insist." I laugh. Even my _mom _still complains about getting acne sometimes. I sigh, imagining a life without blemishes of any sorts.

"There are magical types of blemishes though, so don't get anyone angry with you. Otherwise, they'll probably jinks you and all your happiness will be gone," Clara warns.

I nod, trying to hide my smile as she points her wand carefully to my face. "Hold still!"

Warmth grows across my face and in the next instant she tells me to open my eyes. I never knew that I had closed them! When I look at the mirror in front of me, sure enough, my face is shining.

"Thank you, Clara! I have the sudden urge to hug you now!" I squeal, turning around and giving a huge hug to the tall and skinny, unfairly beautiful girl in front of me.

"Oh your welcome, Jackie! And I'll teach you how to do it yourself, but we are kind of running on a tight schedule right now."

"I understand!"

"Let me fix your hair, too. The Hogwarts wind probably made it crazy. It looks good, but it keeps getting into your eyes."

"Yeah, my annoyingly black hair does that all the time! No hairspray works…"

"You don't need a hairspray!" she says convincingly as she walks to the small trunk beside her huge bed and lifts it open, digging her hand and searching for something. "This is my secret weapon," Clara says in a very un-Clara like way (although I just met her, she seems to always have an energetic and perky voice, but this time she sounds secretive).

"Wow there, Clara. Is it a drug that you are hiding behind your back, or what?" I joke and walk over to my new bed, sitting beside my neatly piled clothes from ten minutes ago.

She laughs at me, twirling her hair in between her fingers. "No it is not. But it _is _very addicting. You see this strand of my hair?" Clara holds up the blond strand closer to my face as she walks over to where I sit.

"Yes?-"

"Watch." Clara twirls it around her finger again, although this time I notice what happens. The hair stays in the same exact cork-screw position it was in when it had been around her finger.

"Wow! Does it stay like that all night?"

"It stays like this until I take a shower. This bottle in my hand," Clara finally moves her left hand from behind her back, showing me a very small and very pink bottle, with lacey and loopy purple writing. It says 'Magnifique en cas de Catastrophe', "is magical, _period_."

"Why haven't you run out yet?" I ask in amazement while she squeezes a quarter coin sized glop of it into one of her hands and rubs it through both of them. She walks over to me and rubs it into my hair like a hair stylist would.

"Magic, remember?" She laughs while I gasp in amazement when my hair turns shinier, wavier, and neater (if that is possible…). "Oh, I love your hair! It's so black and silky and thick! Mine is blonde, so everyone can bring up the 'dumb blonde' joke all the time. It is so annoying!"

"Oh thanks! But I'm sure you would trade back with me instantly," I assure her. My hair feels lighter as I drag my finger through it in amazement. Every single knot is gone, and surprisingly enough it feels like I never put anything in it. I can tug on my thick mane of hair all I want, but the style just bounces right back to where it was a second ago. "This is so _cool_! Thank you!"

"Oh you're welcome! You can use the product, too. I have enough for about a life time. It was on sale, so I bought ten bottles of it (I'm a shopoholic, but I'm working on it…). I've been using this one bottle once a day for a year and still haven't run out…"

"That is amazing," I tell her in a daze, and then look at her alarm. "Oh, the feast that is starting in about two minutes!"

"Shit! Okay, do you feel comfortable in that?" Clara asks me quickly while walking to the door.

"Err- yeah, I guess…" I say, following her out through the door and entering the staircase wearing my new uniform, new hair, and new face, as a couple of late girls hurry to the Great Hall for the feast. Nervously I trail behind the blonde headed Clara, watching her hair swish back and forth slowly as we walk, and now knowing a big secret to her huge success in hair.

Okay, so I know that this chapter is very long, just like the other one... and I am sorry :)

But Oh well! hehehe

I hope you liked it... cause it is only _just _the beginning ;)

Review please review please review please review please review please (see? I'm using manners... so you should REVIEW!)

Have an amazing day _please_!

-Maia


	3. Entering Royalty

Another chapter!

Yay!!!

I have nothing to say!!!

Read and review? Okay, sure

I hope you enjoy:

* * *

Chapter 3: Entering Royalty

Clara leads me through what I am _sure _to be the Great Hall.

Once we have gone through the huge golden arches (about five times taller than my height), I gasp dramatically. Everyone around me, including Clara, looks at me and smirks. My face immediately turns a shade of red while I look directly in front of me, anywhere but the gawking students.

The Great Hall is easily the most beautiful place I have ever been in… by a _loooong _shot. In front, to the sides, and in back of my frame is a brightly lit and huge room. The light comes from hundreds of floating white candles that are suspended far on top of everyone's heads.

Once I notice the floating candles, it is almost impossible to not become aware of the actual _ceiling_! It is not a ceiling whatsoever, but a star-filled night sky. There is mist moving above and around the black and sparkling scene, unlike any sky I have ever seen before.

"Clara, this is magical!" I whisper without moving my head from the position it is in; with my nose straight up in the air as I take in the beautiful night from below.

"Oh we know. Isn't beautiful? I am still hypnotized by it. And look." Clara nudges me and directs her eyes to tall and golden stone framed windows. I turn and stare where she gazes. Through the window it shows a black and starry sky, just like the one up above on the ceiling.

"Wow! _Everything _is magical here… literally. But do you know what I mean? It's like I've stepped into a fairytale!" I sigh in a daze while Clara leads me by the hand to a long and dark wooden rectangular table that is flooded with students who have Gryffindor badges.

There are three tables, which I guess is split up into the three other houses, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw that are parallel and identical to this table, and at the end of the four tables is another identical table, although this one perpendicular.

Professor McGonagall sits in the middle chair of the table facing all of the students, between a _humongous _man. Maybe he is eight feet tall? I don't know, but it is crazy! His hands are as big as the headmistress's head!

"Who is that huge person with the big hair, Clara?" I ask while I sit down to the left of her on a dark wooden bench. On Clara's right Al sits, now holding her hand.

"Wha- Oh that's Professor Hagrid! Don't base him on his appearance, because he is the nicest man. In first year my kitten got in a very bad fight with this horrible other cat, and he fixed her up so well. And he was so sweet, setting me down in his little cabin and fixing me a pot of tea while he cured my baby!" Cara tells me persuasively as I glance back up to his table.

Al leans in on the table to look at me from over Clara. "Yeah, Hagrid is one of my family's friends. We've known him since my _dad _was in first year, and he's helped us out a ton." He smiles, showing beautiful and perfect pearly white teeth as I smile back, noticing his adorable dimple.

"He looks nice! He's all smiley and stuff-" I start, but notice the students of all ages around me and loose my voice. Their eyes are glued on me as I smile uncomfortable. Didn't they learn that it is rude to stare? "Hi –umm- I'm Jackie!"

My eyebrows are razed convincingly while they nod.

"Yeah, I'm Karl Wood! We already know who you are. The feast is about you of course, Jacqueline Marshall," says a brown haired, brown eyed, and very fit guy who looks to be my age. He sits beside other toned men and women, although he is the fittest.

I notice that Al's cute smile slides from his face when he sees who speaks.

"Oh yeah!" I hit my head in an obvious motion. "Ooops yeah… that was obvious-"

"So do you think you'll try out for Quidditch? We're still one person short because the douche captain hasn't held tryouts." Karl leans into me from across the table with intensity while holding a small girl's hand. I look at him, confused.

"Errr-"

"She's muggle born, Wood. Why would she know what Quidditch is?" Al asks him in a much deeper voice than the one I've heard all today.

Karl's pale face has a pink tinge while he breathes in quickly and scratches his brown buzz cut. "Oh yeah, sorry. I forgot… Hi, Albus-"

"And you _know_ that James can't hold the tryouts until Roxanne gets out of the hospital," he growls to Karl. "She's one of the best players and if she is gone during the tryouts, she won't be able to get on the team again."

Karl smiles apologetically while Al glares daggers.

I stare in astonishment. Why is Al acting like such an asshole?

From next to me, I feel Clara nudge Al with her Mary Jane shoes forcefully, her face very pale as she glares warningly.

I laugh shakily and look over to my left. The students on that side are all what look to be first years, gossiping about their latest boyfriend or girlfriend. Can't talk to them…

I bight my lip while the huge silence around me sinks in. Clara, Al, Karl, and I just stare at the empty wooden table in front of us; dead sound flows through the air.

"I can't believe James had detention during the feast!" Clara speaks up, awkwardly.

"What, was he caught in another broom closet?" Karl snorts out.

"At least he doesn't-" Professor McGonagall stands up from the table she sits at, where other teachers stare at her in anticipation, making Al stop talking. Professor Longbottom sits a couple places to her right, smiling as he waits.

"Settle… Settle…" she says with raised arms as the Great Hall quiets. My shoulders and heart slump down further towards the bench while I dread what she might say. Professor McGonagall smiles once the room goes silent. "Thank you! Now, you all know the main reason why you are here! This is the first time a student has come to Hogwarts after the sorting! Obviously, you are all very confused also. I have decided to keep you confused as to _why _this happened, for this feast is only to _welcome_! We are all very happy to welcome in our new student Jacqueline Marshall into the Gryffindor House!" she says with a magnified voice echoing through the hall dramatically.

The eyes that weren't already staring at me now flash towards my low top, short skirt, and overly high heels. I hadn't realized how inappropriate the outfit was until now! Oh god, this is pure torture! There must be hundreds of eyes, all on me! Couldn't they at least show their warm welcome with a smile?

Clara nudges my sinking body so that I have to sit straight, while McGonagall yells rubbish about me and my kindness. Clara is now showing a hinting smile at my traumatized face, so I show her my beautifully fake grin.

"Don't worry. It's almost over, and then we can stuff our faces," she mutters, barely a whisper while the sea of students glance from the headmistress to me curiously.

Clara had lied. Professor McGonagall ends her speech a whole three minutes later, with fifty mentions of my name as I show my forced and stretched smile. "Now, you all must be starving! Especially you, Ms Marshall." Make that fifty one times… "Dinner is served." She waves her hands towards the long and wooden tables in front of her and filling them with overflowing food.

I jump in my seat. "Oh my! How?-"

"My mum told me how they make food apporate in front of all of us," says a familiar voice. I look over my shoulder to where the voice was, and see Rose Weasley walking over to where I am. "Can you move to the right a bit, Jackie? I was late because I _just _finished the essay, and the most room is next to you."

"Hello, Rose! Yeah sure I can." I scoot over a little bit so she can squeeze between me and a first year and I stare back to the glistening food. My stomach growls meanly, so I glare and breathe in deeply. "I will have _salad_," I mutter.

"What?" Clara and Rose ask me in astonishment.

"Oh never mind. How does the food apporate here, Rose?" I ask, changing the subject while my face flushes and I drop my eyes from the food completely.

"It's always been the same, but it used to be that hundreds of house elves were not paid as they made all of the students' food for days and days while my mum and dad were in school. They were enslaved, told to stay underneath the Great Hall floor… but Mum made a stop to it all! Now they are paid a decent amount of money, and all of them are free!-"

"Oh come on, Rosie. Aunt Hermione over-exaggerates. House elves were never _enslaved_!" Al says with a sickening amount of Shepard's Pie stuffed into his mouth. "Weren't they just mistreated?-"

"Do you _ever _pay any attention in History of Magic? I mean come on, Al. We started learning about the House Elf Act of 2007 _years _ago!"

Al snorts. "No…" He and Clara roll their eyes jokingly. "Why would I do that if you can just give me the notes for homework and tests?"

Rose slumps down on the bench and piles mashed potatoes onto a golden plate. "You know what, Al, one of these days I won't give you my notes, and you will be very sorry that you hadn't listened in class!" she says forcefully while Al laughs nervously.

"You wouldn't do that, would you?" Al asks quickly while Clara laughs at him.

"Al can be so pathetic some times!" Clara jokes while Rose does not reply to his question. Instead, Rose puts a spoonful of the potatoes into her mouth and chews.

"Is it really that boring in class? I mean, I feel that it is pretty easy to just jot down a couple lines of the teacher's speech," I say. Al stares at me with wide eyes from over Clara's head, as I just smile innocently.

"Ummm I don't know about the school you used to be at, but our History of Magic professor makes every living, sleep-"

"Which is really unfair because he's a ghost. If he were still a human, I am sure that Professor Bins would figure out how boring he always is." Clara gets a nod from Al and a slight smile from Rose, while I stare in astonishment. "Ghosts can't sleep, but I'm sure if he could, he would."

"Wha-what? There are ghosts at the school?" I say, coughing on my first bite of lettuce as shock hits.

"Oh I keep forgetting you've been growing up in muggle surroundings all your life! Yes there are ghosts at the school, and one of them teaches us _history_," Al says, painfully at the last couple words.

I stab a cherry tomato with a silver fork that lies in front of me as I think it over. "So do some ghosts –err- haunt people?" Every person around me spit out their food or snort, either way looking up at me with a ridiculous smile. I blush furiously and just concentrate on wiping my mouth with a maroon silk napkin.

"Where did you used to _live_? Everyone wants to know, and I'm surprised that I'm the first to ask…" says a light brown haired and petite girl that looks to be my age. She has her hand held by Karl Wood to the right of her and to the left of a very, _very _unfairly beautiful girl (also about my age).

"Oh, well I came from Wrentham, Massachusetts? I have no idea about anything to do with this magic… sorry…" I mumble embarrassedly while she looks to be taking in my appearance.

"You know, I'm studying to be a healer so I know how to fix teeth. I'd be able to get rid of your braces and straiten out you teeth," the brown head says, not even realizing that that could be a bit… rude to some people. Her teeth _are _perfectly straight and white though…

I bite my lip and nod.

"This is Tillie. Don't mind her, because she is harmless," says the one next to her. "And I'm Beatrice." The girl beside Tillie waves at me, showing long and slender fingers, all with huge, silver, and intricate rings wrapped around them.

I just stare back pathetically, nodding slightly. I already know that I am jealous of her. I already know that Tillie, Rose, and Clara are envious. And I also already know that about every male student in Hogwarts would take Beatrice over their own girlfriend in about one millisecond.

"You guys are my roommates? Hi, I am Jackie!" I tell them while Al starts up a conversation with Clara… something to do with a jinks Al put on some guy named Scorpios –isn't that the name of a deadly bug? Rose nudges me, signaling that she has to excavate a Gryffindor third year's 'Skiving Snackbox'. What ever that is…

"Oh, so you're a 6th year? Shit, what are you gonna do about school work?" Tillie asks me in shock with wide navy blue eyes while I fold the napkin and place it on top of my quarter empty plate.

"Well Professor McGonagall says I'm gonna learn alongside the 1st years-"

"Oh seriously? That's embarrassing!" Beatrice says, smiling at me knowingly.

"Yeah, I'm kind of nervous," I say uneasily.

Beatrice is not just beautiful, she is gorgeous. There is a _definite _difference between beautiful and gorgeous. Beautiful is attractive, classic, cute, skinny, tall, tanned, big-eyed, big-boobed, plump-lipped, shiny-haired, high-cheekboned, etcetera, etcetera, everything every girl dreams to wake up in the morning and be. Gorgeous is not attractive per say, but more like the strongest magnet in our solar system. Everyone who walks by gorgeous people need to stare and say hello, hug them, and smile spitefully or hungrily. Gorgeous is beautiful and beyond.

Well, Beatrice is unusual and eccentric. Her hair is an assortment of dark chocolate, light butterscotch, and dirty blonde, all obviously natural and could only be pulled off by _her_–and of course by the other few gorgeous females in the world. The mane of hair is in a huge and puffy afro, crimped and cork-screwed, none the same size and all across Beatrice's head, with the strands close to her forehead lighter than the ones at the back, all in nature with her appearance. As if she just woke up like Aphrodite.

Beatrice has huge mud brown eyes, flecks of moss green speckled around them, making her appearance even less innocent than she already would have been.

She laughs at my expression; the corners of her perfectly plump reddish brown, shiny lips turn upwards on her sculpted face. Beatrice's mahogany skin shines exuberantly with not one blemish or scar in sight.

"Yes, this is Beatrice, a half veela, half African American woman," Clara says, sighing as she joins into the conversation. She puts her elbows on the table and leans her slightly freckled head on her hands.

"What's a veela?" I ask as I cross my legs and straighten my posture, conscious of my surrounding peers. Why hadn't I noticed her before now? I must have been blind!

"I still can't find a word to describe what a veela is without sounding like a complete ass," Beatrice says to us, crisply, while she shovels a second serving of spaghetti onto her plate.

"Oh-"

"Basically they're goddess-like creatures that have the power to seduce any man they want. Veelas come from Greece, I'm pretty sure anyway…" Tilley tells me mater-of-factly.

"If you are serious… wow! You are so lucky!" I say in amazement, my mouth wide open. At least Clara fixed my acne and hair. If she hadn't, I would feel like a complete loser…

"I _love _your accent! It is so cool that you used to live in America! My father used to live there and Mum was hiding in America when the war was going on. They met each other… and then they eloped a month later. Now I live here." She giggles, driving Al and Karl to stare her way before focusing solely on eating their crumb filled huge plates once more, but now with much stronger grips on their fork and spoon.

"That's so romantic!"

"You never told me that happened!"

"Awww!"

"Oh, they divorced when I was ten. Apparently my mum was too hard to please…!" Beatrice says easily, still laughing lightly. "I'm so excited to have you in my dorm, Jackie! So- Hey! Why aren't you eating? It's really good food, I promise you that."

"Jackie is setting too good of an example. I really should not be eating my third helping of chicken breast… and you are not boosting my confidence!" Clara says, although she just takes another bite off her fork.

"Oh, well… yeah-" I start uncomfortably. Nervously, I rub my neck, pushing up the right side of my –now- beautiful hair.

"You have a tattoo!" Tilley tells me, reaching across the long table to point out the permanent words etched into the back of my red freckled neck. I am beginning to love Tillie.

"Wow! What is it of?"

"When did you get it?"

"I can't see!"

Now I have to laugh for real. All the students around me are staring in awe. "Umm well, I actually have four tattoos." The 1st years to the left sit with jaws dropped. "I got them all in the last year… somehow." I sigh, putting a strand of my black hair behind my freckled ear.

"Does it hurt? Wow! I can't believe you have one. I don't know, I guess it's harder to get anything personalized on your body when you are at boarding school for about all of the year… Where are the other ones?" Clara asks, lifting up my sleeve, searching.

I push her away softly. "Stop, you won't find them right there…" I smile. "Errr check the other arm."

Everyone watches without a sound while Clara pulls up the sleeve of my left arm all the way up to my shoulder. A thick black treble clef shows, about the size of my small ear. "My boyfriend convinced me to get this when I was in his band."

"Oh my god, really? This is so cool! You have a boyfriend who is in a band? What did you do in it?" Clara coos, examining it closer.

My whole face looses its color when I realize what I've said. "He's not- not really my boyfriend anymore." Clara, Al, Beatrice, Tillie, Karl, and the little 1st years look to me in amazement and new found respect. So I tell them more. "Well… their lead guitarist/one of the main singers baled on them about a year ago. The band is called 'Dexter with the Sundays'." I laugh sadly while remembering how long it took us to come up with a band name. Dexter had finally given up completely, going to and picking the first name the website generated for him. I still don't really understand why 'the Sundays' is very alternative rock… but if the internet thought it worked, we were fine with it. "Dexter said that I should replace Ben… so I did."

Sighing, I stare down at the pretty much empty platters in front of everyone. I miss home.

"Was he really talented?" I look up again, meeting Tillie and her question.

"Who?"

"I don't know… Dexter… what ever, I just wanted to know if he was the leader…"

"Oh, yeah Dexter is extremely talented. He started Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts last month." I close my eyes for a couple of seconds while I feel everyone's eyes on me.

"Yum!!!! Dessert!"

My huge black eyes open, but just barely, coming face to face with chocolate, cream, and fruit filled plates in front of me.

"My favorite is this one. Here, try it?" Beatrice asks, although she does not wait for an answer. Moments later she has spooned blackberry roulade onto the half of my plate that does not have the maroon napkin and salad. I frown as she smiles encouragingly to me, handing me a clean fork and new napkin. "It's good. You don't trust me?"

I force a smile while my insides feel nauseous and my outsides feel log-like. Concentrating hard on stabbing the fork into the cake and cream dessert, I manage to miss the powdered sugar and whipped cream. Coughing slightly, I push a dime sized amount of the spongy and textured cake onto my raw tongue and chew, barely getting by without gagging.

"Oh yeah, I've got to agree with Beatrice. That one is my favorite, too," Clara says perkily while smiling and licking her whipped cream covered spoon daintily. I nod, although feeling extremely left left-out, as if I am on a cloud, watching everyone around me live their lives while mine had ended a month ago, when Mom and I shut our Wrentham home door for the very last time. They talk to me, but know one knows anything about me anymore.

**. . . . **

I feel disoriented as my five scents absorb my body. Everything is different, and it freaks me out.

At first I thought I had woken in my mom's room, but even her bed is more familiar than what I feel now. The mattress that my limbs are pounding onto is a cloud compared to the mattress at my old home; the silk sheets that cover it are heated at the exact temperature my organs want it at, and although the mattress is so soft and forms to my body, it is anything _but _comfortable.

I hear light '' all around my head while I lye still. My huge eyes are open wide, not understanding that I only got three hours of sleep last night as they take in the creepy surroundings.

Grayish red curtain on all three with grayish black stone on top is what I stare up at. The face of my hands rub onto the rough grayish white cotton lying over my dead and wide awake body like linen bandages for those soulless bodies.

Pale yellow and white is crusted on each corner of my eye, the cracks on the sides of my small nose, and all along the lines of my pale pink and overly planned out lips with the scent of dried salt and the taste of a bad lemon; not sour, but bitter in all of the wrong ways.

Awareness is all around me. A ticking of the clock to the left. Lime water straight on. A shot of water squirting onto a porcelain bowl to the right. Chatter, whisper; gossip if I point back there.

I have to plunge deep if I want to survive. But then I am fully sensitive to feel. Standing on a huge mattress, my ears go to extensive work and my eyes spin and spin and _spin_! Where am I? I know where I am, but I can't be where I am, because it does not make any sense! No it does not, no, no, no, _no_!

Life. My life. Everything is my life, so complicated, so twisted, so revolting all over my porcelain white and dirt splotched skin. It used to be bad; it used to be crazy and intertwined with different beliefs and confusing alibis, but now? I fall back now.

Hitting my head on that hard grey stone and speckled wall, order follows. But who said order makes sense?

"Jackie? What was that? Did you fall? Were you _standing_? Are you alright?" It must be Clara… or Beatrice or Tillie. One of them, I am almost positive… I think.

When I answer whoever it is, I don't answer at all. I say "Yeoahh?!." And that is when those red curtain panels force open from the strength of a tiny Tillie. But maybe it is Beatrice. I can not tell, god dam it, this is scary! They are two different people, or are they just two different nicknames…? Oh I don't know, I don't, stop asking!

"Oh my god Jackie, are you alright?" asks a woman. I know that for sure. Her voice cracks and squeals and yells for someone. "Shit, Beatrice, get some water. Tillie get McGonagall!"

Alien eyes. Six of them, all different colors. "You're green. Are-were you like this when you woke up? Did she hit her head? What the hell happened???" someone says hysterically. Yes, good question. What happened?

I curl up and lay here, shivering, as movement continues, getting louder. People mutter and whisper and shuffle, but nothing is in focus. All of that _focus _is centered to my stomach, which churns and bubbles and gurgles while my face turns pastier and pastier.

My eyes are open, but just a crack. Even those small slits make me feel as if I am spinning, transporting, even my new known sense, apporation. Dizziness hits me from every direction so those cracks disappear while I squeeze them shut.

"Jackie, stop. Stay awake! I know that people are supposed to stay conscious when these kinds of things happen. _God dam it, Jackie, stay conscious!_" to the right commands. But what if I don't want to, or what if I can't?

**. . . .**

"Is-"

"Shhh!"

"I think-"

"_Shhh!_"

"Jack-"

"_SHHHH!!!_"

"But-"

"_Shut the fuck up, JAMES!!!_" Four girls and one guy all punch James Sirius Potter furiously on the shoulder.

"_Ouch!!! _I just wanted to know if-"

"Leave! _Now_!" An old woman with white hair and many wrinkles snaps at James and his black and untamed head. "And do _not _come back!"

"Fine," he says sadly, slumping his shoulders as he walks away from the metal framed and white sheeted bed that I occupy, although not exactly leaving the white room. No one knows just yet that I am awake. I am not sure myself that I _am _awake… "But I saw Jackie's eyes open slightly a minute ago, so you should probably check-"

"I wonder why she woke up…? Hmmmm… It isn't as if anyone was _talking_." I open my eyes a crack and notice Rose's hands on her waist while her light eyes are on fire, glaring at James horribly. Beatrice and Clara glance from Tillie to James, but back at me quickly.

"Jackie? Are you alright?" Clara whispers softly as she sees my open eyes.

"Mwhat happened?" I feel very tired and _very_ disoriented and _very_, _very_ embarrassed. Much fun lies in front of me.

"You had a panic attack and hit your head on the wall behind you. There was a combination of fainting and getting knocked out. I am Madam Pomfrey, Marshall," she tells me briskly. "Now it's only been the first day you are here, and you've already visited me. Please don't make this a regular occurrence!"

"Umm yeah sure. It's the first time I've ever been unconscious! Well, unless you count sleeping…"

"That's good. Just be extra careful here in Hogwarts. Were you frightened about where you were, this morning?"

"Errr I think so… Yeah, I was. I can't really remember anything besides waking up though…" I say, thinking hard to earlier in the morning.

"Don't worry, that's natural. You can leave if you'd like. I patched up your head, and you can take off the bandages tonight at 8'oclock."

"We'll show you around the castle. Maybe we should start with the outside… to clear your head?" Beatrice says while helping me up off the thin mattress. Shakily, I balance on the hard white tile as my roommates, plus the Potter brothers, crowd around me. "We changed you into your uniform and Tillie couldn't resist fixing up your hair, incase you're wondering," she whispers to me. "We shooed the boys out while you were changing, of course."

"Are you alright?" Rose asks.

"Yeah." I bite my lip, concentrating on my breathing. "I'm okay. Alright, let's go. Thank you for fixing me up, Madam Pomfrey."

"Oh, you're welcome. Just remember to be very careful here!" she tells me as she walks away from us and to another bed, although that one has a curtain around it so I can't see who lies there.

"Come on, let's go," Al mutters to the group while I waddle next to Tillie and Rose. They have their arms out for me, and every time I loose balance they grab onto my waist. Beatrice walks in front of us, in between James and Al.

We walk out of a white door that leads into the hallways from the nurse's office. This hall is brighter than the others I have been in, surprisingly, but then I realize there is a window straight ahead. There are a few moving paintings on the walls that we pass, all original and funny, moving their eyes in my direction.

"So I think we should show her the Forbidden Forest first. What about you guys?" James says loudly, turning his head to stare straight at me and then chuckle loudly.

I stare at him in confusion. "You just said _forbidden. _Why should I go to a forest that is forbidden? We aren't allowed!" I sound stupid, but whatever. I apparently fainted and got knocked out just an hour or so ago. They cannot judge.

"Yeah, I think that's a bit mean," Al disagrees with him while James rolls his bright green eyes. "Why don't we just go to the Black Lake? The beach'd be warm, right?" he asks Clara. Al walks slower so that he can walk with her.

"The weather is really good this month, so yeah, let's go there."

"And I'm all done with my homework, so we can hangout there for a while!"

"No one cares, Rose."

Rose rolls her eyes at James, kicking him lightly on his calf in annoyance. "You are such a moody boy."

"I am not a _boy_!" James tells everyone angrily.

"Oh, we know that!" Beatrice says, giggling because James has just tripped over his own feet as we walk down a flight of stairs.

"Well thank Merlin that at least _Beatrice _has logic!"

"I think we know perfectly well that you have grown into a beautiful young lady, right?" Beatrice says lightly while Al, Rose, and Clara nod and then crack up.

"Oh, shut up!" James heatedly groans while pouting and crossing his arms, his face turning to a light pinkish shade.

"You tell us to quiet up only because you know that it is _true_!" Al snorts, punching James friendlily when he sees James' glaring eyes. "Calm down, we're only kidding!" he adds when James punches him back, although not as lightly.

Clara laughs at the two pathetic brothers while I watch in amusement, not exactly sure what I am supposed to say or do. I'm not exactly friends… I hopefully I _will _be, but right now I am just a friendly acquaintance.

Sadly, so far I don't think I have set a good example of myself. It is my first day here, and I have already gotten hurt. Touching my swollen red back of my head and bandaged scalp lightly, I sigh.

"Does it hurt?" Rose asks, eyeing the top of my head nervously.

"No. It's just a little itchy, these bandages-"

"These are the front doors to Hogwarts!" James interrupts me, making all of us stare in front of him. _Huge _metal front doors with many locks stare down at me that must be three stories high _at least_! There are four sand clocks in the corner of the room, about two times my height. They have gems instead of sand in them, one of them green, another red, the next one blue, and the last gold. "I can't believe Neville didn't let you go through the front doors yesterday! Its way better than the back entrance…"

"Oh, well… I'm surprised now! So that's good…" I drift off while lifting my head up to stare at the top of the doors. On the right side of us is the Great Hall, so I don't understand how could have missed them. Maybe I was too caught up in the moment? Oh, who knows.

"Well, come on then…" James tells us uninterestedly. He looks back at me, who still looks up at the colorful entrance of Hogwarts. "Ugh!" James grabs my arm and pulls me away from Rose and Clara, walking us to the door.

"Be careful with her, James! She isn't a rag doll! Remember that we just carried her unconscious body to Madam Pomfrey's an hour ago!" Tillie tells him seriously from behind me while James opens the door's huge handle forcefully.

"Don't you trust me, 'lie?" James asks her playfully as he grabs my other arm also. What is he doing?

"No actually I don't, surprisingly enough," Tillie says to him, annoyed.

"And why's that?" He looks at me while smiling wickedly at her. Oh no, what is he going to do? In an instant he picks me up and cradles my body in his arm.

From shock, I scream. But that's all I really can muster before my brain goes fuzzy. Why is he doing this? I've only been picked up by one person since my toddler years, and that was my boyfriend! Even then, it was only because I had sprained my ankle and could not walk. Now my whole brain feels as if it sloshes around in my head as my stomach lurches and jolts. I bite down on my lip tightly and painfully, urging myself to not throw up.

"James, put her down!"

"She looks as if she's gonna be sick. Just set her down, you asshole!"

"Jackie, slap him."

"Jesus, James, don't you remember what Mum said to you last _month_? I am pretty sure this is detention-worthy."

James rolls his eyes as he places me softly on a gravel filled pathway outside the main doors. "Sorry about that, Jackie. Could not control myself."

"I think this is why we don't trust you," Tillie mutters.

I look at him while trying not to be sick. I've never met such an annoyingly jerk-ish person in my entire life!

My face floods with red blotches from embarrassment and my eyes fill with salty water. I am just _too _stressed out right now, and he has to do _that_? Sniffing slightly, I breathe in deeply and beg myself not to cry.

Clara walks over to where we are and rubs my arm soothingly. "Are you alright, Jackie? You're dizzy again?"

"No. Yes. Maybe…? I don't know. Can we sit down somewhere though?" I ask shakily. They all nod their heads at me, full of concern as they walk me along the wide path (even James –bipolar much?).

It leads us to a grassy hill, which once you reach you can see a shore and the Black Lake. There are two tall beech trees that stand close to the shore, although still on the grass, with bright white and yellow daisies covering patches of the yellowish green field. In this view, the lake is not so scary… but then Beatrice dares Al to poke the giant squid.

It's so peaceful around Hogwarts. I am still a bit frightened by the insides (maybe not Gryffindor Tour), but once we are outside all I want to do is close my eyes and breathe in the fresh fall air.

Hogwarts reminds me of visiting my grandparent's farm in the south of Massachusetts. Everything is calm there, even though I know that a ton of workers are farming in the lands all around me.

"Race you to the furthest tree," Clara yells over to Al.

"You're on!" he says dramatically while pushing her lightly to the right –slowing her down as he runs over to the tall light brown and green tree.

"Cheater!" she squeals because she makes it to the tree a second after Al. Tillie and Rose roll their eyes at the couple, while Beatrice runs to the other tree, tugging James along by his huge hand.

"Somersault contest?"

"We can't break a tradition, I guess."

I watch as Rose's long red hair flies everywhere when she sits down on the grassy hill, where Tillie follows.

"On your mark… get set… Go!" Beatrice yells to them from the tree.

I watch in astonishment as they tilt their heads on the slightly wet grass and push off the firm ground with their hands, forcing them to roll down the hill. It isn't just astonishment, but filled with confusion and annoyance. And just _sadness_!

I know nothing about these people's lives, and I will never _truly _fit in. Just because I am a so-called witch does not mean that I belong here. Maybe if I had come sooner… If I had started Hogwarts at the same time as them I would be sharing their moment of weird child-ness… and enjoy it too!

And they seem like a huge family also. Not just a family either, a perfect one! With a mother and father and just the right amount of brothers and sisters, who all have their weekly trips to the beach and the nightly homemade dinners together. Everyone is envious of them, and then I showed up.

The students at the Great Hall looked at me as if I was adopted into a royal family. But that just doesn't happen! A gawking stare filled the room last night, showing curious and dilated eyes. They wanted to know why I walked in with Clara. Why Rose automatically sat next to me. They all wanted to ask why this weird, unusual, and imperfect girl sat in the spot they had been dreaming of placing their rear ends on since first year. Why her?

Oh trust me, I am not quite sure.

I guess that the students at Hogwarts will just have to wait and find out for themselves. In the meantime, I will hopefully adapt to my new lifestyle at this bizarre and perfect boarding school.

* * *

I hope you liked it! I don't know though... was it confusing? Or was it not? Haha okay, well why don't you answer me that?

It would be really nice if you'd review, because then I will know that people are actually reading this fanfic!!!

I have a question for you. How cool would it be if the Beatles wrote I song about you? What if _you _inspired them to write one of their life-changing songs? Oh my god, I would be the happiest human alive! But of course, that's only me :)

I have another question for you, although this one not as amazing, and really has nothing to do with _you _changing _anyone's _life through music. Too bad :) Okay, here it goes... Have any of you seen Arrested Development? If so, do any of you know where I could watch season 3 on-line? They have 1 and 2 on Hulu, but I've already seen both of those!!! Argh!!! Alright, thanks! It would be much appreciated if you'd answer me if you know :)

PLEASE REVIEW!!! I AM BEGGING YOU *on my knees while salty tears drip down onto the computer screen*

-Maia


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